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Dwight's Bookshelf - click
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Good To
Great by Jim Collins
One of the most truly amazing
aspects of this book is the great lengths at which Jim Collins and his
research assistants went through to take away any biases and reach the
true facts. Unlike many authors of studies, Jim did not go into this
research with any theories to prove but with an open mind. The goal of
his study was to find out how good companies became great, great meaning
companies whose stock beat the market by 400% over fifteen years. Each
of these companies was in a different sector of the market and he
matched them up with a competitor who had the same opportunities but did
not become great. After comparing these two groups, he came up with five
different aspects of companies which made them Great: Level 5 Leaders,
The Hedge Hog Concept, A Culture of Discipline, Technology Accelerators
and The Flywheel and the Doom Loop.
Your company may not be as
large as a Gillette or Kimberly-Clark, but you will definitely take away
some insights into how you can make your company great, no matter its
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Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch
I would not say that Jack's
leadership approach will work for everyone, but it did for him. Jack
took a great company and made it greater. This is a great follow-up book
to Jim Collins' Good to Great. You can see the aspects
highlighted in Good to Great woven all throughout Jack's career.
Jack's career was not without
mistakes, he made some big mistakes, ones that cost the company millions
of dollars. What we can learn from these mistakes is that we cannot
succeed unless we take risks. You may think to yourself that you company
could not afford a multi-million dollar mistake and there are few that
can. GE is large enough that it could easily absorb the economic impact
of such a large risk, your company needs to find its level of acceptable
risk. Sometimes failures can close a company, but those
who do not risk are doomed to be good. |
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Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus
Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D.
People are
continually telling us to find out what our weaknesses are and fill them in so
that we can be a well rounded individual. People are often placed into positions
by companies that then send the person off to classes to develop their
weaknesses. The premise behind Buckingham & Clifton's book is that we should not
be focusing on our weaknesses, but focusing on our strengths. Using Gallops
strengthsfinder.com profile they
help you gain insight into your strengths and show you that by focusing on your
strengths you can go farther.
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Leadership
by Rudolph W. Giuliani
You will remember
Rudolph (Rudy) as the in control Mayor of New York during the tragedy of
September 11, 2001. This book is not entirely about 9/11, but how Rudy's
leadership before 9/11 allowed New York City to recover much quicker. Not only
did Rudy's leadership prepare NYC for 9/11, but he also streamlined the
government and reduced crime. You may not agree with Giuliani politically, but
his leadership style is one to take a hard look at and examine yourself against.
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The Path : Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life
by Laurie Beth Jones
One of the most important keys to knowing where
you are going is figuring out where you are going. Many people don't have a
clear plan of where they are going in life, along with many companies. They tend
to drift aimlessly hoping for the next break to come along but the problem is
that unless they know where they are going, they wont know which path to take.
Laurie Beth will help you realize a Mission Statement and a set of Goals for not
only yourself but also your company.
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The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
by Michael E.
Gerber
Michael delves
into the many aspects of starting up and owning your own business. His insights
into what will make or break a small business cannot be taken lightly. He
explorers the many pitfalls new business owners experience and how to avoid
them. He reminds us of the many hats which must be worn by an Entrepreneur and
how we must remember to step out of our comfort zone. Many companies fail
because an owner fails to realize his or her weaknesses and this is detrimental
to the company, often causing the business to fail completely. One of the most
memorable stories he tells is about his trip to a little hotel which mastered
customer service.
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Failing Forward: How to Make the Most of Your Mistakes
by John C. Maxwell
Starting up and
running a business is no easy task and many times the business is a failure.
Failing Forward not only talks about business failures but failures in life
also. Did you know that the average successful business owner has had over three
business failures before he/she became successful? Use Maxwell's book to use
your failures in the past as stepping stone for success in the future.
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Rags, Riches, and Real Success
by Dallen
Peterson
I bet you didn't
know that Merry Maids, yes the company which comes and cleans your house, was
started by a man who use to produce potato chips. Dallen Peterson in his book
tells us about his early learning experiences in management and company
ownership which led to his starting Merry Maids, which is one of the biggest
service franchises in the country. Learn how by treating people right can create
a mixture for success.
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